Muslim woman counters Islamophobia with peace signs and selfies
The anti-Islam protesters held signs that said things like "No headscarves," "No mosques," and "Stop Islam"
PHOTO: Vice
A young Muslim woman took to the streets of Belgium taking cheerful selfies with anti-Islam protesters at an event celebrating Islam.
This weekend Antwerp held the third annual Muslim Expo; a festival celebrating Muslim culture in Belgium. The expo comprised a lifestyle fair for Muslims, with stalls, panel discussions and performances.
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As expected, not everyone in Belgium was pleased with this celebration of Islam. Nearly 40 members of a far-right Belgian political party, Vlaams Belang, showed up to protest the event holding signs that made statements like "No headscarves," "No mosques," and "Stop Islam."
Their leader, Filip Dewinter, called it: ‘An apartheid Islamic exchange where segregation is preached instead of integration."
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"They want only one thing – to expand the pillars of Islam. If you want to know how young people are radicalised, I advise you to visit this exhibition," he added.
However, young Muslim woman, Zakia Belkhiri decided to tackle the protest by taking some cheerful, bold selfies in front of the protesters. Belkhiri was captured doing so by photographer Jurgen Augusteyns. His photos of Belkhiri's selfies went viral after being published by Vice.
Muslims in the west, since the March attacks conducted by the Islamic Group, have become victim to several instances of Islamophobia.
Many took to Twitter in support of the young Muslim woman.
This article originally appeared on Vox
This weekend Antwerp held the third annual Muslim Expo; a festival celebrating Muslim culture in Belgium. The expo comprised a lifestyle fair for Muslims, with stalls, panel discussions and performances.
Anti-Muslim threats on rise across United States
As expected, not everyone in Belgium was pleased with this celebration of Islam. Nearly 40 members of a far-right Belgian political party, Vlaams Belang, showed up to protest the event holding signs that made statements like "No headscarves," "No mosques," and "Stop Islam."
Their leader, Filip Dewinter, called it: ‘An apartheid Islamic exchange where segregation is preached instead of integration."
Why anti-Muslim hate statistics don’t tell the full story
"They want only one thing – to expand the pillars of Islam. If you want to know how young people are radicalised, I advise you to visit this exhibition," he added.
However, young Muslim woman, Zakia Belkhiri decided to tackle the protest by taking some cheerful, bold selfies in front of the protesters. Belkhiri was captured doing so by photographer Jurgen Augusteyns. His photos of Belkhiri's selfies went viral after being published by Vice.
Muslims in the west, since the March attacks conducted by the Islamic Group, have become victim to several instances of Islamophobia.
Many took to Twitter in support of the young Muslim woman.
This article originally appeared on Vox